The Central Moment

What would it be like to never act out of selfish ambition or self-interest? What if we did everything in love? That is the adventure that life in Christ invites us to!

It’s easy to not feel strong. There is a lot to intimidate us and make us feel out-muscled. Yet we can walk in strength not our own. It’s a place of humble confidence and unflinching faith.

Courage has become an under-rated commodity in a culture that enshrines conformity and demands political correctness. Instead, may spiritual heroes arise who blend compassion with conviction and wisdom with courage.

Faith can erode, be compromised, and deconstruct. Yet truth does not change and gospel faith is not subject to our day-to-day feelings or experiences.  Instead we can stand firm in the faith.

It’s actually possible to lose what we presently have in Christ. So the call of God to each Spirit-filled, Jesus-following believer is to “be on your guard.”

What have you started for the Lord that you perhaps have not finished? Or have you drifted from God’s call on your life to make a difference for him? You may not be alone. Meet Archippus -- as well as a famous church!

Men often feel inferior to women when it comes to prayer. Yet here is an incredibly masculine metaphor for the fight of faith and a life of prayer.

Who are the important people in your life, without whom you could not do what you do? Paul had them in his life, and his honoring of them says much about our life together in the Lord.

Backed up by how we live, there must also be a clear articulation of the gospel. However, that witness to non-Christian family members and friends is not to be harsh, reckless or careless.

It’s not selfish to ask for prayer. Paul did it intentionally and often. Make sure there are people in your life who know specifically how to pray for you.

Submission is a hated and reviled concept in contemporary western culture. Often it is associated only with victimization and abuse. Yet submission marks every Jesus-centered relationship that we have.

Jesus’ life can saturate our everyday living. This week, take on job responsibilities, relationships, chores, and recreational activities because of Jesus, for Jesus, and to the glory of Jesus.

The litmus test of a holy heart is not necessarily found in emotional feelings or inspirational moments. It is found in how we love others in between those moments.

There is an ‘old self’ that needs to be put off and a ‘new self’ that can be put on in Christ. The health of our souls requires that some things die in order for new things to live.

There is a lifestyle in Christ that can prove elusive because of Christian busyness, external pressures to perform, and religiously driven striving. But what about a Jesus-attentive, Spirit-filled life?

There can be a wide gap between external discipline and internal transformation. Rules do not transform us, but Jesus' life in us can!

Let's not chase shadows. That is always a danger when it comes to spiritual pursuits, but nothing can replace Jesus living in us and through us!

Death, burial and resurrection—that was the path of Jesus, and it is the life-transforming journey that we also take when we put our faith in him. No more debt! No more defeat!

What might be replacing Christ in your life? Could it be something that is even cloaked in religious activity? Don’t let those substitutes or counterfeits make you miss Jesus!

Mentors and encouragers are powerful influences in our lives. Surprisingly, some of them can even be people we have never personally met!

Was Jesus’ suffering on the cross enough? If so, why would the Apostle Paul refer to what seems to be lacking in Christ’s sufferings?

Our good works cannot reconcile us to God. That is why we need Jesus. But is our life with Jesus eternally secure, or can we lose it?

There is no one like Jesus, and it is Colossians 1 that gives us one of the most comprehensive descriptions of his identity and mission.

Given that we cannot earn God’s grace, what does it mean to please God? Paul gives us four specific characteristics of a life lived worthy of the Lord.

Faith, hope and love -- the big three in God’s Kingdom. With those the Apostle Paul starts his letter to the Colossians, launching us on a multi-week Bible Study adventure.